Learning Objectives
- Compare honey harvested with stores left for each colony.
- Monitor brood, queen performance, mites, population and moisture before winter.
- Distinguish colony-specific provision needs from routine syrup feeding.
- Record winter survival and spring build-up as the final 4H test.
Field infographic
4H winter readiness
Judge each colony against its yard, size, equipment and local winter.
Surplus
Harvest
Take honey only after abundant natural winter stores remain.
Weigh
Stores
Check amount and placement; no universal weight fits every hive.
Local
Queen
Record line and age; verify survival and spring build-up.
Measure
Mites
Count and act on concerning signs; propolis is not mite control.
Preserve
Envelope
Leave wall propolis intact wherever equipment still fits safely.
Return
Spring
Log survival, new bees and remaining stores as the true test.
Read these first
This chapter assumes the ground covered below. If any of it is unfamiliar, take the detour — the sequence exists so nothing here has to be taken on faith.
Reading mode
Winter preparation begins before the last harvest. A large crop is not success if the colony enters winter short of its own honey. Heavy means a genuine surplus after abundant winter stores; Healthy includes measured mite pressure and resilient local queens; Happy includes adequate space, forage and low needless disturbance.
Assess each colony, not a date on the wall
- 1Heft consistently or weigh the hive; check the location as well as the amount of capped honey around the cluster. Compare with the equipment, colony size, site and expected winter length.
- 2Record brood pattern, adult population, queen line and mite results. Inspect promptly if illness or a failing queen is suspected; otherwise preserve brood-nest integrity.
- 3Take only a surplus after sufficient honey is reserved. A light colony needs prompt, individual assessment; do not assume a routine syrup schedule is a substitute for leaving its own stores.
- 4Evaluate weak or queenless units early enough for a responsible combine or other suitable response. Do not combine a suspect diseased colony without diagnosis and biosecurity advice.
- 5Check moisture, wind exposure, entrances and mouse protection for the local yard. Record the setup for comparison in spring.
Student chapter
The rest of this chapter is behind the hive gate.
You are reading the open preview of "Autumn: Leave the Bees Heavy for Winter". The full chapter — about 2 minutes of it, the beginner and advanced sidebars, the printable field cards and the paired Guelph video work all sit behind a Hive Key.
What a Hive Key opens
- Every chapter in full, both reading tracks
- Printable field cards — mite thresholds, feed schedule, queenright
- The Guelph HBRC video library, paired chapter by chapter
- The Princeton season dashboard, twice a month
How to get one
Ask Mark about access to the full lessons. Hands-on workshops are a separate offer: $25 per session for youth and students, $35 for adults. No Hive Key is needed to sign up for a workshop.
Workshop prices & signup →Track your way through the curriculum
Students with a Hive Key get completion ticks, percent-through-track and a resume button across every chapter.
Open the student desk →From Section IV — Peak Flow, Summer Management & Varroa